President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday issued 2,169 title deeds to residents of Rabai in Kilifi county.
The President urged the recipients not to be enticed into selling their birthright for temporary pleasure.
He observed that the title deeds were worth billions of shillings and if utilized well, the landownership documents held immense potential transform the lives of beneficiaries and their dependents.
"When we finish this event, the residents of Rabai would be worth Sh4.2 billion. The question is, if you have received a title deed and you have heard of its worth, are you going to use it to improve your lives or you are going to sell it and make yourself happy then in December you will start looking for another place to be a squatter," Uhuru said.
He spoke at Kasidi Primary School Grounds in Kilifi County where he presided over the issuance of the title deeds, and reiterated the Government's commitment to continue its ambitious land titling programme.
The Head of State pointed out that land title deeds were powerful economic tools with potential to transform lives of households across the country when utilized well.
"For an individual to have a title deed, it means the end of poverty. It assures them of settlement. It means they wont worry that they are squatters but rather they will know that the place they are living is their home and thus put up a permanent homestead," the President said.
He acknowledged the sensitivity of the land question at the Coast, and thanked leaders from the region for supporting Government efforts to address the matter through dialogue.
"The issue of land has been a source of discord, tribalism and chaos here at the Coast region. That’s why when I took over the country’s leadership, I promised to bring a solution to the issue rather than continue discussing it," the President said.
Uhuru reiterated his administration's commitment to end the squatter issue at the Coast, and across the country saying, the Government would intensify issuance of land title deeds in coming months.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who also spoke at the event thanked the President for prioritizing the settlement of landless people at the Coast and across the country.
Kingi observed that in the nine years of President Kenyatta's leadership, the population of Coast residents holding title deeds to their parcels of land had risen exponentially.
"For 50 years, the Coast Region received only 230,000 title deeds but from 2013 to date, the Coast has received 500,000 title deeds in 9 years. In Kilifi between 1963 and 2012 the County received 52,000 title deeds while since 2013 to-date the region has received 100,000 title deeds," Governor Kingi noted.